LANSDOWNE STATION, NOVA SCOTIA — More than 16 months after two young siblings disappeared from their rural Nova Scotia home, the mystery surrounding Lilly and Jack Sullivan remains unsolved.

Lilly, who was 6 when she disappeared, and her younger brother Jack, then 4, were reported missing from their home on Gairloch Road in Lansdowne Station on the morning of May 2, 2025.

What followed was one of the largest and most sustained missing-child searches in the province, involving police, search-and-rescue teams, aircraft, drones, water searches, specialized investigators and human-remains detection dogs.

Yet despite the enormous effort, authorities have still not located the children or established with certainty what happened to them. The Nova Scotia RCMP says the investigation remains active and that all possible scenarios continue to be considered.

The Morning Lilly and Jack Disappeared
According to police, the children’s mother, Malehya Brooks-Murray, contacted 911 at about 10:01 a.m. on May 2, 2025, reporting that Lilly and Jack were missing and that she believed they may have wandered away from the family property.

RCMP officers arrived shortly afterward, and a large-scale search began.

The initial response involved 24 ground search-and-rescue teams, along with air and water resources and specialized RCMP units. By the following day, the Northeast Nova Major Crime Unit had taken over the investigation under the Missing Persons Act.

The case quickly expanded beyond a conventional search for children who may have wandered into nearby woods.

Investigators began examining digital evidence, interviewing people connected to the family and reconstructing movements around the property and surrounding area.

Hundreds of Investigative Leads Have Been Examined
A year after the disappearance, the RCMP released an unusually detailed summary of the work carried out.

Investigators had formally interviewed 106 people, reviewed 8,132 functioning video files, conducted forensic examinations through the RCMP’s National Forensic Laboratory and used polygraph examinations as an investigative tool.

Police also said they had searched roughly 40 kilometres around the Lansdowne area using human-remains detection dogs.

By April 30, investigators had prioritized 1,191 tips and were working through 1,534 separate investigative tasks.

The numbers underline just how extensive the investigation has become.

But they also show the central difficulty facing authorities: enormous quantities of information have been collected without producing a confirmed answer about where Lilly and Jack are.

Items Found During Searches Were Ruled Out
Over the months following the disappearance, search teams and volunteers recovered several objects that initially attracted attention.

A pink blanket associated with Lilly was found in the woods roughly a kilometre from the family home.

Other searches turned up a child’s shirt and a tricycle.

Authorities later said those items did not provide a connection to the children’s disappearance. Cadaver-dog searches in the area also failed to generate a decisive lead.

That has left investigators without the kind of physical evidence that could establish a clear direction in the case.

Police Say the Investigation Has Not Been Reclassified as a Criminal Case
One of the most important details surrounding the investigation is the RCMP’s public position on whether a crime has been established.

Police have repeatedly said there is no confirmed evidence of a criminal offense in the children’s disappearance, while also making clear that investigators have not simply closed off possible explanations.

In April 2026, the RCMP said every possible scenario remained under consideration and stressed that investigators needed specific, verifiable information, rather than rumors or speculation.

That distinction is important.

The disappearance remains deeply suspicious to many people following the case, but authorities have not publicly announced that Lilly and Jack were abducted or that another person has been charged with harming them.

Their Stepfather Later Faced Separate Criminal Charges
The investigation gained additional public attention in January 2026 when the children’s stepfather, Daniel Martell, was arrested on charges involving an unrelated adult victim.

RCMP said the charges included assault, sexual assault and forcible confinement and were unrelated to the disappearance of Lilly and Jack.

The arrest became especially controversial because previously sealed court documents concerning Martell and Brooks-Murray were later made public.

Brooks-Murray had made allegations about physical behavior during their relationship, while Martell denied abusing her and said the allegations were part of an unfair narrative about him.

Authorities have not said that Martell’s separate criminal case explains what happened to the children.

In fact, the RCMP has continued to maintain that it has not found evidence establishing where Lilly and Jack are.

Investigators Used Polygraphs on Key People
Polygraph examinations have also played a role in the investigation.

According to police reporting, investigators administered lie-detector tests to several people connected to the case, including Martell, Brooks-Murray and the children’s biological father, Cody Sullivan.

CityNews reported that all three were assessed as truthful during those examinations.

A polygraph result is an investigative tool and is not, by itself, proof that a person did or did not commit a crime.

Still, the use of multiple examinations illustrates the lengths to which investigators have gone while attempting to eliminate possibilities and narrow the timeline.

The Family Has Continued to Live With Uncertainty
The case has also taken an enormous emotional toll on the children’s family.

In August 2026, Brooks-Murray spoke publicly about her children and continued to express hope that they could still be alive.

She has also voiced frustration over how long the investigation has taken and the lack of a definitive answer about what happened. Recent coverage noted that she continues to want her children brought home.

That hope exists alongside the grim uncertainty surrounding the case.

More than a year has now passed without a confirmed sighting, physical recovery or publicly announced breakthrough.

Search Efforts Have Not Truly Ended
Although the enormous initial search operation has long since ended, the investigation itself has not.

The RCMP said in April that specialized resources remain assigned to the file and that credible leads continue to be pursued.

Investigators have also continued reviewing information received from the public.

Authorities have repeatedly urged people to avoid speculation and instead provide concrete details that can actually be verified and investigated.

Nova Scotia has also offered a reward of up to $150,000 for information related to the disappearance.

Sixteen Months Later, the Central Question Remains
Lilly and Jack disappeared from a rural property where their family lived.

A massive search followed almost immediately.

Police reviewed thousands of videos, interviewed more than a hundred people, examined digital evidence, conducted forensic testing, used polygraphs and searched kilometres of surrounding terrain.

Still, the children have not been found.

The RCMP has not publicly identified a person responsible for their disappearance, and no one has been charged in connection with the children’s disappearance.

As of September 12, 2026, Lilly Sullivan and Jack Sullivan remain missing.

The investigation remains active, and police say they are still pursuing credible information.

For the family, however, the wait has become measured not in days or weeks but in more than a year of birthdays, holidays and unanswered questions.

Where are Lilly and Jack?

That remains the question investigators, their family and the public have been waiting to answer.

Current status
As of September 12, 2026, the RCMP continues to investigate the disappearance. The children have not been located, and police have not publicly established that a criminal act occurred. Investigators continue to consider all scenarios and are asking for specific, verifiable information rather than speculation.

Sources
Nova Scotia RCMP — Official investigation update, April 30, 2026